South Sudan accuses Sudan of amassing troops on border

December 31, 2012 (JUBA/WAU) - South Sudan on Sunday accused the government of neigbouring Sudan of “amassing troops” at the border ahead of a planned meeting between the President’s of both countries to resolve a number of outstanding issues pertaining to the South’s independence almost 18 months ago.

South Sudanese minister of information and broadcasting Barnaba Marial Benjamin.

The troop build-up was "to preempt [the] presidential summit" and prevent the planned meeting between Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan. The two Presidents have not met since September when they signed a Cooperation Agreement on numerous issues.

However, the deal has not been implemented due to differences on the border security aspects of the deal.

Juba made the allegation days after Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn visited Khartoum and Juba where he had discussions with both Presidents.

On 28 December the spokesperson of Ethiopia’s ministry of foreign affairs, Dina Mufti, told Sudan Tribune that the two Presidents had agreed to meet in Addis Ababa on Friday 4 January. However, Sudan’s official news agency (SUNA) reported on Friday evening that Desalegn had invited Bashir and Kiir to meet in his capital, the scene of previous talks, on 13 January.

South Sudan’s minister of information and broadcasting, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said at news conference broadcast by state-owned South Sudan Television (SSTV) on Sunday that the government had noted Sudanese government was amassing troops at the border in order to block summit from taking place.

"There are now 3,000 troops fully equipped moving towards disputed areas. They are moving with heavy weapons and they started their activities with ground on areas which deeply inside our territory. They have started this with the attack on Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and a raid of farmers in Renk County in Upper Nile State", Marial said.

South Sudan says that on 26 December five people were killed by an air and ground attack on Kiir Adem, an area in the disputed Mile 14 area on the border between Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and Darfur. Mile 14 was controversially included in a proposed buffer zone between the two nations in an agreement signed by the Presidents in September.

On Friday South Sudan accused the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) of holding hostage farmers who had been kidnapped from Upper Nile State. Sudan always denies bombing or entering South Sudan’s territory.

Marial said the movement of Sudanese troops was focused around disputed areas.

Despite a six year peace deal and a year and a half of South Sudan’s independence the border has not been demarcated. The issue of the contested areas is complicated further by the presence of valuable minerals, oil and fertile grazing land.

Khartoum also recently accused Juba allowing Darfur rebel groups to establish a camp in the area.

South Sudan’s official spokesperson said that the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) intend to enter the disputed areas by force.

In March, Bashir’s planned trip to Juba to sign deals on citizenship and other matters was canceled when border skirmishes, which both sides blamed on the other, resulted in South Sudan’s army (SPLA) occupying the oil-rich Heglig/Panthou area for ten days in April.

The SPLA pulled out of the crucial oil field amid much international criticism and the conflict triggered an United Nations Security Council resolution calling on the two sides to resolve their differences or be subject to sanctions.

After extensions the September deal appeared to have made progress on many of the outstanding issues but Khartoum has refused to let South Sudan resume exporting its oil through the north until security issues are resolved.

Marial claimed that Khartoum had violated in the Cooperation Agreement by its alleged attack on Kiir Adem, the kidnap of farmers from Upper Nile and the amassing of troops on the border.

South Sudan, the minister said, was alerting Sudan’s military activities to the African Union Peace and Security Council, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), which has been mediating between the two sides..

"We need to tell them our responsibility as sovereign state to defend our territory and our resources from foreign aggression and attempts to invade", he warned.

Marial accused Sudan of failing to honour the September deal, which required the two nations to deploy their forces out of the designated buffer zones and create a Joint Border Verification Monitoring team under the United Nations peacekeeping forces already deployed in the disputed region of Abyei.

The Ethiopian peacekeepers in Abyei, under the deal, were due to expand their remit to include managing the joint demilitarized buffer zone until the final status of the border areas are resolved. Three months on however, the security elements of the deal remain unimplemented.

Sudan accuses Juba of backing Sudanese rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, while South Sudan says Khartoum has made new "impossible" demands that were not in the September deal.

However, Marial said South Sudan’s negotiating team were ready to continue talks "without condition and without delay".

"We are a sovereign state with all rights and constitutional obligations and duties to defend our territorial integrity and resources. The SPLA is on maximum alert in areas of their deployment", Marial said.

In Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Governor Paul Malong Awan on Saturday asked the civilian population to make contributions to support SPLA forces on the front line.

Governor Awan reportedly told the army on Friday, after paying a visit to SPLA positions in Kiir Adem, that defending the country was their responsibility and that citizens will do whatever they can to help them achieve their mission.

“Defense of the country is our responsibility in different ways. It requires collective responsibility. The citizens will give you moral and make contribution to support you”, he said.

Rizeigat Southern Migration

The Northern Bahr el Ghazal Governor said he was open to receiving Sudanese nomads, such as the Rizeigat, who traditionally enter the area with their cattle to access water and pasture, on the condition that they accept peace and enter the area as visitors and not as rivals contesting the ownership of the 14 Miles.

“We know this is the time when they come. If [the Rizeigat] come seeking peace with us, we will extend open reception. We will welcome them as usual to access water and grazing land. Doing so will benefit them but if they allow Khartoum to use them against us they will pay for it”, Awan reportedly the army on Friday.

Governor Awan was further quoted as adding that there are some Rizeigat who are members of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP), who believe that they will be able to take the area with the support of the government in Khartoum and thus the SPLA needs to watch them carefully.

"They may say one thing to us when wanting to access and grazing and another to the government in Khartoum. We need to be ready and prepare for anything. There are real nomads who are seeking peace and there are people who are collaborating with the government in Khartoum. These are the people sabotaging peace efforts because they do not benefit from peace. They survive through confusion and conflict", he said.

(ST)

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31 December 2012 06:59, by Bolman

Hey Mr complains please stop your nonsens crying about Sudanese Troops where is your Troops and why Sudan always threatening your Country and u don’t ans them for me man with man stop crying too much complains Mr money lover than Nation where is four billions Dollars that can build that for than ten years without asking anyoutcomes,SPLM is party that can led us for next more two yrs enoughtmrcheat

Sudan amassing their troops on the border! So, we don’t have our troops to buildup on the border as well? Why are you complaining? You don’t have any troops? No wonder why Sudan walked all over us all the time! Who is coming for us for the rescue if we don’t fight back?

THIS IS A CRUCIAL TIME FOR RSS TO KEEP IT PROMISE OF "WE BOW TO PROTECT OUR NATION" IT IS NOT A TIME FOR ACCUSATION.
WHO DO YOU THINK CARES IN THIS WORLD ABOUT YOUR COMPLAINT.
A REAL MAN LEARN ON FROM ONE MISTAKE. LET OUR TROOPS DO THE SAME TO THE BORDER TOO.

To Thieves,What? are you scared of this SAF massing troop around the border?! are you tired of SAF bombarding and you really can’t do anything other than shooting down UN plane?!
Well, it’s your choice thieves, just lift your hand from supporting SPLA-N and Darfour thugs and jeopardizing our national security! why don’t you mind your on business?!

The south is so weak than ever before, full of internal conflicts, economy is collapsing and running out of money, rebels now pose a real threats than ever before, SPLA lacks for ammunition and military equipments, soldiers moral is completely down and didn’t get their salaries for so long, just tell me, how such a devastated country and poor army can ever fight and win a war?!

Jalaby,
It appears you are misinformed and misled into such an illusion. Internal conflicts are normal for a nation growth, not pointers to economic collapse as you falsely claimed. How about your conflicts, repressed oppositions, SPLA-N and Nubas and Darfuris undergoing slavery of the NCP? Are these people located in South Sudan? Your assumption will be met by your rude surprise if you attempt.

Jalaby.
who is thief? what happen to you now when South Sudan had taken 75% of its oil revenue? your country is dying and pretending to be mad always cry for help as Basit lech sent an envoy to Qatar with written request begging for money.
2. It is not a surprise to we Junubean about your ammessing of you troops, but a kind of report to International community and UNSC.

continue..
so that when we act vigorously, SPLA. will be in save side.
what are you trying to tell us, yes we are concern about ammessing of your troops, because our rifles produce ice cubes whereas your rifles produce life ammunitions. Don’t cry late for invasion when our gallant force react.

Jalaby.
who is thief? what happen to you now when South Sudan had taken 75% of its oil revenue? your country is dying and pretending to be mad always cry for help as Basit lech sent an envoy to Qatar with written request begging for money.
2. It is not a surprise to we Junubean about your ammessing of you troops, but a kind of report to International community and UNSC.

Jalaby
you better ask your brothers who came recent to the land of the Brave, how many return home save. bombardment will never secure you the border.
new year new strategic, soon no Antinov will hover over our Land.

Jalaby
If you paint them white with UN letters on it they will be shot down. Remember next time don’t paint your aircraft white and expect them to be seen as UN aircraft. I hope you pay members of SAF who die in the so called UN helicopter well otherwise they will spilled the beans and you will be embarrassed.

Since our President a cowards lazy drunkard person, Omer Bashit gonna make all south sudan areas as a disputing areas. Think about, in 2008 Bashir captured Karassana(Majak yith)but Kiir said we don’t need to fight before referendom. Karasana is 25mile north of Panthou, now we not going to talk about Majak yith any more, we are not going to talk about Panthou any more either.

we are not going to talk about Panthou because Sudan army is 25 mile south of panthou near to Pankuach. They are going to capture Pankuach and make it a dispute areas like what they try to do in Northern Bahr el ghazal. God help South Sudan we are in shithole right now.

bro Deng de II am quiet sure u re from panruu community, of course as u mention it, we have president,our president now is a private solider in fronte line from kaka,jaw, awarpiny, mijak kol,akuor,waar-awar then gong machar.kiir is detained by Nile special, tusker lager and Luka Biong.this man is a problem to south sudan.we in that junture of upper nile have politician to rise our vioce after ....

death of wen Deng Dut and the baning of majak Dau by Taban Deng Gai in SPLM politic.now u can see who re ruin beyond human deserter among ss. Re we in Unpper nile.it wiill not matter.coming to weakness of kiir kuethpiny mayardit.would not be for Gorgrial as a whole,u take keribino is from Gograial ,brave&intelligent.if barh gazal, moses Machar Arop Kachuol is from yirol brave&intelligent.

correctio.those re threate to ss dlipomat, if ss vioce thier view contoury to their interest,will black mail s.sudan in those sensitive instituation, Abyei boys re like stalke born of fish in kiir throat.what we do is to assembly behind a non Dinka to vote for him or her like Isaac mamur mete or any other like John koang Nyoun but not Riek Machar.come 2015.kiir go to his father house in Awan chan

We can’t cry everyday bombardment while our ministers put the country money in their acounts, without buying even one jet fighter or meg16, south sudan was putted on list of stupid and currupted country,due to the things like this you just know how shoot down the UN helicpoter not SAF helicopter.shame on you!!!!!

This big mama calling emself Marial...,Pagan Amuom,Makuei Lueth and Salva Mathok were they main people who used to say that.People of northern Bahr el Ghazal didn’t understood what so-called 14 mile and they are ignorance(lack of knowledge).This is what we were talking about.Now! who is so ignorance in this case? Stop ur ugly mouth and wait for SAF to fuck ur dark asses.In JB...

Now, this is atime for us to cry about Dr Garang Garang, Karbino Kuanyin, William Nyuon, and Arok Thon plus the brave who can give a f---ck to Jallaba. Understand Salva and Rike, humiliation across the border is going to be countless.Whom are we complaining for while we all know that Khartoum has dishonored Abyei protocols, CPA major issues,let alone oil corporation? For me, this is a clear war!

Bol
No need to cry for dead people but there are strong people in ourselves right now if they get chance, they can do better job. We wish Kiir to go too so that some body with good strateges can take over, but Nyagatee Rick fucking bish.

Honestly, I’m totally depress. I am talking about the dead because their action was worth demanding. They can not just make noise like what is happening now. This is too bad for us because hosting South Sudanese in Darfur areas and raiding farmers in upper nile plus frequent bombing is completely too bad for me and I don’t really like it intotatlity

I though our government or Kirr Mayardit the president of GOSS were aware of what Bashir said that he is ready to meet him any where, any time. Having planning ahead of time is matter in any thing you are doing. leave begging for pipe line.we left it for them long ago forgetting that it was made with our money. Lets focus on boarder to protect it and demarcated by any mean Bashir wanted.

trust me when i say that the show is about to begin. this will be real independence for the Republic of South Sudan. remember what happened in Panthou, Karasana, Tshween? this time it will be all the way to Port Sudan. dont cry later. mark my works....

Helloneath
To be honest, SPLA now a day is too weak and poor strategies,in Karassana 2008 they runned away without fight at all. A strong man lead by dumn can be a dumn too.We alway ego Panthou war,how we captured it, it doesn’t better since we runned away like rat and leave them enjoy oil and our lands

Deng II.
please don’t comment as if you are arabised or islamised. Nobody had run out from Karasana and Panthou but as a pressure came from UNSC, but now they are known as disputed areas. Be wise! If you are Abdhallah Deng just let me know.

To Jonobean,Instead of crying, blaming your SPLA of not being able to stand against SAF, bla bla bla
Advise your deaf government not to support SPLA-N and Darfour thugs because that’s the root cause of the problem!
Stop talking nonsense and shit bla bla bla

Jalaby, The SPLA-N is fighting within the Sudan territory. Blaming them on the SPLA in South Sudan is irresponsibility on your side. What of hungry thugs you keep on supplying with weapons in vain attempt that you will easily invade South Sudan and run away with it? Reign in those militia dogs whose ties with you are only nothing but food. Keep out for SPLA forces are determined to root you out.

Jallaba, SPLA-N or SRF agression shall continued on Sudan even if South Sudan had already stop implicating her self in wars with North. SPLA-N is fighing in North Sudan, there are two scanarios now: CAR rebels are marching toward Capital,M23 Rebels of DRC are heading to Capital and SRF are moving toward Khartuom on both routes: Darfur,Blue Nile, Portsudan, Whi Just nonesense. I don’t want to hear,

South Sudan Government should accept war and join forces with SRF or otherwise these criminals will not stop attacking our Country. their aims not to win war but to create instability along the borders and to make sure that South Sudanese will not enjoy the fruits of independence but I have faith in SPLA and in South Sudanese people that victory is certain as said by SPLA.

Gabriel KK,
Yes, victory is certain over those reactionary force. We shall soon root them out, even dislodge them from the land we gave them centuries back. It is a matter of time our gallant forces will respond in kind. We shall check them and give th unforgettbale lesson that they so dsereve. Time is fast running out for those mulatoes to see men facing them at closest range of fire and burning

No need to fight with hopeless terrorizes Arabs in Sudan. Even if they started to massive theirs troops in our border.We keep our state and people safe and health.no more disable or lives loss to Terrorize.Khartuom is a gang old people state terrorizing people such no more Generation to comes as they are about to go to Hell/God. God Save Sudanese people from power and most corruption state.NCP

Master,
We cry becuase of merciless bombarment against innocent civilians. South Sudan won’t collapse nor its economy because of your wishful thinking. We restrained ourselves due to our obligations to UN and international treaties. We have the ability to invade Sudan at time of our choosing. Continue to aggress us and God is our witness. When it breaks you homosexuals will run in dirty jalabias

I have been asking this question for long. Where is the UNSC resolution now? Sudan government have been violating through bombing and ground attack South Sudan but no action or even word from US and UNSC or UN while they one were threatened South Sudan by sanction.
That is no fair at all.

Mel, The UN is a toothless organization at times. The FAOS (Foolish Arabs of Sudan) have been bombing us while UN was in a cat-silent mood. When we showed the world that enough was enough, and invaded Panthou using naked force, the UN and its weaklings shamelessly cried foul. Do you see how UN can turn out discriminative? One thing is clear, the UN respects a nation that uses a brute force.

Those who beat the drum of war and do not go to war by themselves should know that nobody is ready for another war for the first war failed to satisfy its promises.Dr Marial and his likes should bring their children to fight another war and not the sons of the poor this time.

Mapuor,
Marial is doing their duties. There is nothing wrong with it. South Sudan has been unfairly been bombed since it gained its freedom from the enemy North. By the way why should innocent civil populations get killed for no reason? Do you expect Marial as RSS spokesperson to close his mouth while his people are being maimed? Marial is not beating any war drums but informing the world.

Dear Junubin,
The NCP regime is looking to escalate the situation to divert attention from worst economic crisis facing country, and avert potential uprising against regime.
What will NCP regime achieve in renewing conflict with South Sudan? South Sudan will humiliate SAF forces, hence giving Sudan rebel coalitions another opening to wage war against regime.

NgunDeng Said, One day; Deng children will think back for the people they killed for no reason. We kill ourselves in south for nonsense reason, jealousy, foolish Tribal murdered. Ours enemy wait to get the remaining one. Now desperate traumatize Nation struggling with emotion. Alcohol, lack skills, Education, human intelligence. Pray for the Blackman spirits to increase ours in Africa.

Sussessfull waved,don’t want friendship relation with North Sudan.Northern Sudan is our enemy of the years! No joking,hearts had give up sense of patience and telorance to accept some accountabilities smile with Northern Sudan,because they don’t have any respect to continue with being friend!

marginalise people of south s udan happy new wish the best in poverty eradication through tradditional agricultural method system since there is government in ss.resort to tradditional method of protection from evil,enemy fake Arab aggression at the border line while kiir with his gang re busy looting &alcoholising themselves.

marginalise people of south s udan happy new yr wish u the best in poverty eradication through tradditional agricultural method system since there is government in ss.resort to tradditional method of protection from evil,enemy fake Arab aggression at the border line while kiir with his gang re busy looting &alcoholising themselves.

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